U. S. Senate Debate
on
West Virginia Statehood

July 7, 1862

Extracted from the Congressional Globe

ADMISSION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

Mr. WILLEY. I desire to throw myself on the indulgence of
the Senate this morning and ask them to postpone all prior orders
with a view of taking up Senate bill No. 365, providing for the
admission of the State of West Virginia into the Union.

Mr. TRUMBULL. I hope that bill will not be taken up. It
seems to me that we are not prepared to act definitely on that
subject now. At any rate there is much other important business,
and we are approaching what seems to be considered by most members
of Congress the close of the session, and it seems to me we should
not take up a bill of that character which will certainly lead to
very protracted debate before it can be passed, if it can be passed
at all. I hope the Senate will not consent to postpone all other
business, and employ its time in discussing that question at
present. We may as well have the test question upon taking it up.
If that bill is to be taken up and other business postponed - if
that is the sense of the Senate - the sooner we know it, and are
prepared to decide upon it definitely, perhaps the better. I ask
for the yeas and nays on taking up that bill, and I hope that may
be regarded as decisive of our disposition to go on with it.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from
Virginia moves to postpone all prior orders, and that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of the bill for the admission of West
Virginia into the Union, and upon this motion the yeas and nays are
demanded.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

Mr. WILLEY. I regret very much that the Senator from
Illinois takes the view of the subject he has expressed. This
matter comes before the Senate, not merely by the certification of
the assent of the Legislature of Virginia, one of the States of
this Union, but it comes with the language of request and memorial
upon the face of the act of assent itself, soliciting Congress to
admit this new State as one of the United States. It comes, then,
with all the authority of the legislative voice of one of the
States of this Union. It has been presented here for several weeks;
six weeks ago I submitted it; the report of the committee has been
on the table for some time; the amendments proposed by that report
have been printed, and Senators have had ample time to look into
the question and form a judgment on the subject. It seems to me
that the Senate ought not to disregard, especially under the
circumstances, the voice of the Legislature of one of the States of
this Union; and that section of the State which is most interested
in this matter, which it is proposed to erect into a separate State
of the Union, makes an appeal to the Senate of the United States
under circumstances which it seems to me ought not to be
disregarded at this day. She stands here with her heart bleeding;
with all her industrial interests and commercial interests
prostrate. She comes here with her fields desolated, with a heart
that has never flinched in the contest for this Union, keeping her
internal foes, as well as her external adversaries, at bay. From
every quarter and section of this new State, I receive letters by
the dozen daily that unless some relief is given to that section,
the Union men must take their families and find homes in the West
That will be the result of the denial of the petition of this
State. I say what I know, and I say it with no view of influencing
the Senate by any words of menace. Far be it from me to use words
of menace, if I had the power so to do towards a body like this;
but I say the result will be - I have the best evidence in the
world of it - that the leading Union men and all who are able to
get out of that State, for which we have been fighting and bleeding
and standing firm to this day, will inevitably be compelled to
leave their homes and their firesides and seek as best they may an
asylum somewhere else. That, sir, is the fact, and there is another
fact I will mention -

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from
Virginia will pardon the Chair. It is with great reluctance the
Chair feels bound to interpose and to say that these collateral
questions to take up, or postpone, or refer, at this stage of the
session, do not open the question to general debate. Therefore the
Chair would respectfully suggest for the government of Senators,
every member being governed by his own sense of propriety under all
circumstances, to confine the discussion to the appropriate and
direct collateral question before the body.

Mr. WILLEY. I have no desire to enter into a general
discussion. I was only suggesting reasons which were forcible to my
mind showing the necessity for immediately acting upon this
subject. I do not wish to take up the time of the Senate in
discussing the general question. I wish to have it taken up and
acted upon and settle this question. The people who have suspended
their business in that section of the State awaiting the result of
this issue will then know what to do. If they have to leave, they
had better leave soon than late; and if they remain, they can go to
work. I do trust that the Senate will take it up and act upon it in
some form or other.

Mr. WADE. I am in no condition to argue this matter, even
if it were in order; but I wish that we might act definitely on
this subject now, because I know the people of West Virginia
believe that it is vitally important that this question should be
acted upon at this session. They fear if it is not, the time will
go by. I do not think there is anything in it which would lead to
protracted discussion. Every Senator has made up his mind whether
he will go for it or not, and I wish we would take it up and decide
it. My opinion is, we ought to pass it.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Secretary will call
the roll on the motion of the Senator from Virginia.

Mr. FOSTER. I suggest that, by unanimous consent, the
call for the yeas and nays might be withdrawn, and a division
asked, and if a majority of a quorum vote "ay," that then the
question be given up, and the vote taken in that way. I think we
shall save ourselves a great deal of trouble if we consent to that
arrangement.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The yeas and nays have
been ordered and the Secretary will call the roll.

The question being taken by yeas and nays, resulted - yeas 17,
nays 18; as follows: